Life Isn't Perfect
by CassieAggie
Summary: LIFE ISN'T PERFECT Life isn't perfect and we shouldn't need it to be to enjoy it." [Reid and Prentiss have a moment...]


**LIFE ISN'T PERFECT**

_Life isn't perfect and we shouldn't need it to be to enjoy it."_

[Reid and Prentiss have a moment...]

"You know I didn't mean it right, what I said on the plane?"

Reid used his skill at re-call and then said naively "Which bit didn't you mean?"

Prentiss smiled, "You just replayed that whole trip back in your mind didn't you?"

He nodded, not sure if that had been appropriate or not. "I'm still wondering though, what you didn't mean."

Regretting that she had even brought it up now, she said "The bit about there being a lot to hate about you..."

"Oh, that. I'm sure you meant it at the time; why else would you have said it."

She leaned against his desk and said "Because you frustrate the hell out of me!"

Taken aback by her tone, Reid said "Obviously! Well I suppose I should apologise then... I had no idea - it sure wasn't my intention."

"I know that Reid. I just wish..." She was fearful of finishing her thought.

"What Emily, you wish...?"

"I wish you could just shut off that big ol' brain of yours sometimes. When I was telling the story about the origins of the star puzzle, everyone else was just listening and enjoying the story for what it is was. After what we'd been through, I thought we could enjoy some light and laughter, but you... You had to dismiss it! All you could think about was the improbability of catching a falling star, the scientific notion that that isn't possible ... You couldn't just let it go!"

Spencer just sat there; he didn't know whether to be angry, embarrassed or upset about what Prentiss was saying. After a moment he got up and quickly made his way to the tea-room. Prentiss had seen the hurt in his eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. She went after him.

He was busying himself making a cup of coffee. She said quietly "Reid, I'm ..."

"Can I get you something?"

"Coffee, thanks. Spencer, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you just now."

"Didn't you?"

"Reid. I'm sorry I brought it up at all."

"Well, that's on me isn't it. I said you must have had your reasons for saying what you did on the plane and you let me know what your reasons were. I apologise for frustrating you; I apologise for not being able to shut my brain off. I apologise for not being able to just listen to a story and not think what nonsense it is, or try and ignore scientific notions. You're right, I should have just let it go! I'm sorry I ruined your light and laughter."

He handed her the coffee. She said "Reid... This all started out as a joke, but I can see that you're hurt by what I said. Can we talk about this?"

Spencer sipped his hot coffee and said "I know what you all think of me, and you're right - I am all brains and scientific notions but that's who I am... I'm not sure I can change that."

"And nor should you. It is who you are and that's what we also love about you. Speaking only for myself - because this is just you and me - I love that big ol' brain of yours and I adore you for who you are."

He just nodded, but underneath he wanted to scoff at her placating words.

"I'm not just saying that Reid. Look, I know we make fun of you sometimes and we make light of your intelligence but you know that we respect you, admire you. You do know that right?"

"Sure." He wasn't at all convincing.

"Spencer. When I said you frustrated me, I just meant that I wish you could just live in the moment once in a while; enjoy the frivolity of a joke or a lame romantic tale... not be so serious all the time. I wish you could take in the light and laughter when it's on offer - just so I know that you're not still thinking about the horrid nature of our work. I worry that sometimes, because you're so darn intelligent, that you forget to let go - forget to enjoy what's going on around you."

Spencer leant back against the wall near the door, a few feet away from Prentiss. He said solemnly "I do try Prentiss, I really do. I know people think of me as a walking encyclopaedia and I know they think I'm boring and all about statistics... but I do try. The truth is, when you were telling that story on the plane, all I was thinking was - how nice would it be if all that were true. How nice would it be if we could live such fanciful lives and believe in such nonsense... but then my brain took over and I voiced what I knew to be true and before I knew it, I had ruined the moment for everyone else. I put the puzzle together because I knew it would enhance my scientific beliefs further - not for any other reason, and that's just stupid!"

"It's not stupid Reid. I doubt very much if you could have left that puzzle un-done, no matter how hard you could have tried to - it's just not in you."

Spencer couldn't help but smile, "You're probably right. So, do you really think I shouldn't try and change who I am?"

"I don't think anybody needs to do that, least of all you! [She was taking a few steps towards him now] Reid, you're a very special part of this team - more than that, you're a very special man and I for one am honoured to have you in my life, both professionally and personally. All I'm going to say to you is, maybe once in a while you can get crazy and do something impulsive and really live in the moment and not stop and think about the reality of it all, you know. Life isn't perfect and we shouldn't need it to be to enjoy it."

No words came from Reid. Emily had hoped that she was getting through to him, but perhaps they weren't okay yet. She stood before him, thinking hard about what else she could say to her colleague. In an instant, Reid pushed off the wall he was leaning against, caught Emily's mouth with his own and took part in a deep and lingering kiss. When he eventually drew back, he looked down into the darkest chocolate brown eyes he knew he would ever see, smiled sweetly and said "Is that impulsive enough for ya!"

With that, Reid walked out of the tea-room with a little zip in his step. Prentiss on the other hand was cemented where she stood. Her lips were still tingling all over and her head was giddy. What the hell had just happened. Was that Dr Reid's tongue that had just left her mouth? Was that his hand on the small of her back; his ever-so-soft locks that had fallen across her face? Had she become intoxicated by Reid's aftershave... what the hell?

When she eventually felt able to leave the room without buckling at the knees, she found her way back to her desk. She looked across at Reid who was busy with a pile of files. She quickly scanned the workspace for signs that she hadn't been hallucinating just now. She slowly looked down at her desk and there lay the star puzzle, all in pieces... A scrawled note next to it gave her the answer she was looking for:

'Not everything needs to be perfect to seem real.' SR


End file.
